The General Assembly's Sunday budget vote sent school district number-crunchers scrambling for their keyboards to finalize budgets for School Board approval. The final total for state schools funding, $5.52 billion, was not a surprise, sitting midway between the House and Senate proposals. But school district officials worried the legislative session would last longer as the two bodies hashed out a compromise, pushing against School Boards' April 1 deadline for sending approved budgets to cities and counties.

The Isle of Wight County Board meets at 5 p.m. for is supposed to be final vote on the county budget. Dottie Harris, the head of the local NAACP chapter, has urged people to attend the meeting to pressure Supervisor Buzz Bailey to resign over emails he forwarded that contained racist content. Isle of Wight streams its County Board meetings live. Click here to watch.

The Isle of Wight County Board meets at 5 p.m. for is supposed to be final vote on the county budget. Dottie Harris, the head of the local NAACP chapter, has urged people to attend the meeting to pressure Supervisor Buzz Bailey to resign over emails he forwarded that contained racist content. Isle of Wight streams its County Board meetings live. Click here to watch.

By Robert Brauchle, rbrauchle@dailypress.com | 757-247-2827 and By Robert Brauchle, rbrauchle@dailypress.com | 757-247-2827 | May 9, 2013

HAMPTON — The City Council is scheduled to hold a series of meetings Wednesday afternoon and evening that focus on the proposed 2014 fiscal year budget. The council will meet at the following times: •1 p.m. work session: Discussion concerning the capital improvement plan, operation budget and a proposal to defer property taxes for elderly residents. •6 p.m. public comment session. •7 p.m. regular meeting: Agenda includes resolutions pertaining to the proposed operating budget and capital improvement plan.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Virginia Beach has voted to move forward on a deal to build a $300 million arena to lure an NBA team. Media outlets report the city council voted 9-2 Tuesday to support a plan to partner with Philadelphia sports and entertainment company Comcast-Spectacor to try to attract a team with an 18,500-seat arena near the Oceanfront. A final vote will come in February or March. The city is moving forward despite no funding commitment from the state. While Gov. Bob McDonnell supports the efforts, he did not include the $150 million the city requested in his proposed budget.

Because of the absence of the mayor and the vice mayor, the City Council postponed action on several measures Monday night, including a bond issue of up to $1.6 million for a sewer project in the western part of the city. Also postponed was a final vote on an amendment to the city code that would increase sewer hook-up fees to $3,000 from $1,200. The increased fees are needed to help pay for the $2.2 million project that will provide sewers for about 300 homes. Passage of the measures would have required four votes, said City Manager Robert Murphy; with only three supporters present, those in favor voted to delay action until they could produce the fourth vote.

A measure requiring a woman to receive counseling and then wait 24 hours before having an abortion moved ever closer to becoming state law Monday - although not before the debate took an unexpected turn. The House has already approved legislation on what is known as informed consent. On Monday, the Senate passed a companion bill on a voice vote. A final vote is required for it to clear the Senate, and that is scheduled for today, the final day for each chamber of the General Assembly to act on its own bills.

(UPDATE, June 16, 2012: In a surprise turnaround, the Board of Health voted 7-4 to allow existing facilities in Virginia that perform five or more first-trimester abortions to be "grandfathered in" regarding architectural regulations; it retained other elements of the "emergency regulations. " The permanent regulations now go to the executive branch for review before a public comment period and returning to the board for a final vote. ) On Friday, June 15, the State Board of Health for Virginia will vote on proposed permanent regulations to replace the "emergency" regulations that went into effect for Virginia's abortion facilities on January 1, 2012.

A bill designed to keep open a school for the deaf and blind in Hampton cleared a House committee Monday and is headed for final approval. The bill would require localities to help pay the cost of operating the school, which state officials had wanted to close because enrollment has declined to about 100. The state Board of Education had pushed to close the school and send its students to a sister school in Staunton. Last month, the board backed down because of vocal protests from Hampton Roads legislators.

The City Council Monday approved ordinances to restrict land use to protect the Chesapeake Bay and order an annual reassessment of real estate for tax purposes. The 4-3 vote came after efforts to adopt the proposals as emergency measures, so they would become effective immediately, failed by the same margin. At least five of the seven council members would have had to approve the proposals for them to have been enacted as emergency measures. A simple majority was sufficient Monday to forward the proposals to the next meeting for a second and final vote.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Virginia Beach has voted to move forward on a deal to build a $300 million arena to lure an NBA team. Media outlets report the city council voted 9-2 Tuesday to support a plan to partner with Philadelphia sports and entertainment company Comcast-Spectacor to try to attract a team with an 18,500-seat arena near the Oceanfront. A final vote will come in February or March. The city is moving forward despite no funding commitment from the state. While Gov. Bob McDonnell supports the efforts, he did not include the $150 million the city requested in his proposed budget.

(UPDATE, June 16, 2012: In a surprise turnaround, the Board of Health voted 7-4 to allow existing facilities in Virginia that perform five or more first-trimester abortions to be "grandfathered in" regarding architectural regulations; it retained other elements of the "emergency regulations. " The permanent regulations now go to the executive branch for review before a public comment period and returning to the board for a final vote. ) On Friday, June 15, the State Board of Health for Virginia will vote on proposed permanent regulations to replace the "emergency" regulations that went into effect for Virginia's abortion facilities on January 1, 2012.

The Board of Supervisors agreed Tuesday night to discuss at the Nov. 15 meeting the amount of money to borrow for a replacement for Page Middle School, with a likely decision coming at the December meeting. The supervisors reviewed on Tuesday night various borrowing scenarios with a Davenport and Company consultant. Costs for building a replacement for Page are expected to hit taxpayers in the pocketbook anywhere from 3 cents to 10 cents on the annual real estate tax rate. Page Middle School suffered extensive damage in an April 16 tornado and the Board of Supervisors is weighing how much money to spend on a replacement building.

The General Assembly's Sunday budget vote sent school district number-crunchers scrambling for their keyboards to finalize budgets for School Board approval. The final total for state schools funding, $5.52 billion, was not a surprise, sitting midway between the House and Senate proposals. But school district officials worried the legislative session would last longer as the two bodies hashed out a compromise, pushing against School Boards' April 1 deadline for sending approved budgets to cities and counties.

Virginia's two Democratic senators, Mark R. Warner and Jim Webb, both voted for the health care reform bill approved by the Senate on a party line vote Thursday morning. Both senators said they would carefully watch the progress of a conference committee working out differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill before determining their final vote. Warner and Webb were crucial to delivering the necessary votes for the bill because of their moderate stances and Virginia's increased status as a swing state which swung back to the right in the recent state elections.

Today is the last day to make changes to Hampton's $435 million budget for 2010 before the council votes on it tonight. The budget calls for continuing the current real estate property tax rate of $1.04 per $100 of assessed value for the fiscal year that starts July 1. That means a homeowner with a $200,000 house would pay $2,080 in taxes, assuming no exemptions or discounts. City Manager Jesse Wallace sent a memo on Friday to City Council members suggesting some changes to the working budget.

Virginia's two Democratic senators, Mark R. Warner and Jim Webb, both voted for the health care reform bill approved by the Senate on a party line vote Thursday morning. Both senators said they would carefully watch the progress of a conference committee working out differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill before determining their final vote. Warner and Webb were crucial to delivering the necessary votes for the bill because of their moderate stances and Virginia's increased status as a swing state which swung back to the right in the recent state elections.

Four members of the General Assembly stood together and asked the City Council to fund the School Board's full $218 million budget by holding the schools harmless for a city error in reporting incorrect assessment figures to the state. "We stand here united in anything we can do for Hampton schools," said state Del. Jeion Ward, D-Hampton, who spoke with Del. Mamye BaCote, D-Newport News, Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, and Sen. John Miller, D-Newport News, at her side. At issue is the difference between City Manager Jesse Wallace's recommended funding for schools next year of $215 million, and the School Board's approved budget.